zz17iroc

iTrader: (4)

Cool man. I'll be giving you some business later this week for the OSTRICH and a ALDU cable.

Thanks for answering all of my question. I'm trying to put the word out to all of my 3rd gen friends here in the north country that Craig Moates is the BEST in software technology.

player 88

iTrader: (2)

WOW! thia looks greAT!

I race an ex players series 1988 1LE camaro and have just put in a new 360 (350 +060 over, 4 bolt main) in to it and need to do some dyno tuning!!

So in summary I can tun on the fly i.e. on the dyno. and then just leave it connected to the ECM run it form there?

OR

I could actually burn a chip from the code so I don't have the unit ther all the time?

Thanks
Steve

Craig Moates

That's right. Options and more options, that's what it's all about...

87Formula4bbl

One question (similar to the last)...

Can you leave the emulator hooked up without running it with a laptop (i.e. does it actually store the chip code in the emulator, so you can run the car off just the emulator).

Sorry if it it sounds like a repeat question, just want to be sure on that.

Craig Moates

Yes, of course. To clarify one scenario:

1) You hook up a chip adapter and the Ostrich to your car's ECM, like a 1227730 or similar.

2) You plug it into a USB cable,and tuck everything away with the USB cable hanging out.

3) You hook the USB cable to your laptop, and you use TunerPro or TunerCat to upload a program to your Ostrich.

4) You start the car up, and you make some changes until you're happy.

5) You decide you want to upload an entirely different program. You do so with the car running, and the car doesn't miss a beat, not even a hiccup. It takes about 1.5 seconds.

6) You disconnect the USB cable from your PC and tuck it away out of sight. The car keeps running on the program you uploaded. If you skipped step (5), it just runs off the last changes you made.

7) You drive the car to and from work for a couple of weeks. Then one weekend you decide to make some more changes.

8) You plug the PC back in, and download what is on the Ostrich in case you forgot where you left off. Then you make some more changes like you wanted to.

So yeah, you can do that. It has three 'AA' batteries in it to back up the Ostrich memory. That way, the 'static RAM' that it runs with acts like nonvolatile memory such as Flash or the NVRAM found in the AutoProm.

Craig Moates

Here's another scenario:

You upload a program to the Ostrich in the house, and then you take it outside and plug it in place of your chip. You run it off that for a while. Maybe a week or so. You bring it in at night to make changes. YOu have the chip as a backup. Sort of defeats the purpose somewhat, but however you want to do it.

Basically, if you can use a chip, then you can use an Ostrich in place of the chip. Lets you make changes on the fly, and has a simple USB interface.

87Formula4bbl

Excellent. I thought that was so, I just wanted confirmation.

player 88

iTrader: (2)

OK , what all do I need to start with?

I have laptop and a Camaro, that's it! what else do I need beside the Ostrich? software, cable and $$$

Thanks!!!!

Steve

thirdgen88

You'll need a chip adapter to accept the plugin from the Ostrich.

player 88

iTrader: (2)

does the software come with it> or whre can i buy/download it from.

Steve

thirdgen88

TunerPro

vernw

iTrader: (2)

Is there a way to pull the program off the OSTRICH and use my BURN1 to actually burn my latest emulation changes onto a chip?

Mangus

Absolutely. TunerPro for both (pulling down the image, and burning it).

vernw

iTrader: (2)

Great! THANKS!!!!!

87Formula4bbl

Just a FYI, Craig, the OSTRICH is now on my Christmas list which my wife now has... I actually went through your site and showed her what I needed...Keeping fingers crossed

BTW, can I ask where the name came from? OSTRICH, that is.

Craig Moates

Actually, my wife named the Ostrich... Ironic, eh? They hold all the cards, really ;^).

See, other emulators are typically called Emus. In nature, the Ostrich is a bigger, badder **** compared. So there you have it!

Mangus

An Ostrich is a large, flightless bird, similar to the Emu. Get it?!

87Formula4bbl

Oh, jees. I guess I could have figured that out if I would have thought hard enough...sometimes it hurts though.

Craig Moates

No pain, no gain

HaulnA$$

When I think too hard, stuff comes outa my ears and I get dain bramage.

Craig Moates

Sweet!!!

TheGreatJ

That happens to me when I spend too much time staring at source code.







Or working on Dodges.

Mangus

You know what I say? No pain...

... no pain!

vernw

iTrader: (2)

So how would one go about making a change with an Ostrich in say, TunerCat or TunerPro, while emulating? Is there some software that comes with Ostrich, or is there a special file you just have to save the BIN to so that the changes are actually made in Ostrich? This is a pressing question, my anniversary is next week and the wife wants to know what to get me .....

Mangus

TunerPro and TunerCat work with the Ostrich just like it works with the AutoProm or Romulator.

Load the bin into the Ostrich (using TunerPro or TunerCat), begin your emulation session and any subsequent changes to the bin are uploaded to the emulator.

When you're all done, you can drive on your merry way, or download the final bin from the Ostrich and burn it to a chip.

The Ostrich doesn't formally come with any software (TunerPro RT is free), but Ostrich owners can register TunerPro RT for $15 (doing so removes the opening timer window).

vernw

iTrader: (2)

Sorry, I guess I'm just "slow"... comes with being an Old Phat Phart (just like dentures, bi-focals, hearing aids, etc.)

I don't understand how you would:

"Load the bin into the Ostrich (using TunerPro or TunerCat), begin your emulation session and any subsequent changes to the bin are uploaded to the emulator"

How do you do the "load" and the "emulator sessions"?

FWIW - I have a licensed copy of TP-RT as well as Datamaster and TC...

Plus how the changes are uploaded to the emulator....

Mangus

Hi Vern -

No worries.

Open TunerPro RT. Hit F3. In that toolbox (the emulation toolbox), you'll see a button to upload the bin to the emulator. After uploading the bin, the "Emulate" button becomes available. If you click that, you'll then be emulating. Any changes you make in any of the editor windows will then be automatically uploaded to the emulator (and the car will consequently be running on those changes).

Its very simple. It will quickly make sense once you have the hardware. =)

vernw

iTrader: (2)

That's the kind of explanation I needed - THANKS Mark!!!

thirdgen88

Got my Ostrich running today... Let me just say that it ROCKS!! Excellent work Craig! Many thanks to Mark also for TunerPro (can't wait to see whats in store for version 4!!)... Real time emulation rocks...

vernw

iTrader: (2)

Mine's been ordered, should get it next week for my anniversary (on Friday) - HURRAY!!!!!!

:lala:

87Formula4bbl

Ditto. I'm pumped!

Craig Moates

Looks like I'll be ordering some more parts, turns out these things work for Hondas, too.

That being said, I don't own a Honda, but I did at one time...

JP84Z430HP

Ding ding......A bell just went off there Craig! We do a bunch of Hoda engine swaps, and this would be something nice to have!

IroczInOz

Damn how does Craig do this?? Where does he come up with this stuff?

Bloody unreal!

Just to make sure I understand this, If you get the ostrich you don't need EPROMs, EPROM PROGRAMMER.

All you could use an AKM data cable get the data off the ECM then change the BIN with TunerPro and Upload it to Ostrich and away you go? So I can sell my Eprom programmer?

How does Ostrich Connect into the Memcal slot, do you need one of those Chip adaptors? I was going to place an order to buy some parts from Craig in the next couple days maybe I am better off getting Ostrich.

So you need TunerPro RT to make Ostrich work correct?

thirdgen88

I've now had my Ostrich running in the car since 12/02/04... Not a SINGLE hiccup... This unit is awesome; if you don't have one, odds are that you probably need one..

GREAT PRODUCT!

vernw

iTrader: (2)

You'll still need one of the adapters, the Ostrich plugs in where you've been putting in your re-programmed chips.

I'm keeping my Flash-n-Burn burner though. I figure there's bound to be times when I'll want to burn an image from the Ostrich back to a chip so I don't have to leave the Ostrich plugged in all the time. However, if you just use the Ostrich from now on, no burner will be necessary. I'm just paranoid enough to want to have a chip in the console to fall back on should, heaven forbid, the Ostrich ever quits for some unknown reason (cable get cut or crimped, etc.)

As for using TunerPro, get the TunerPro_RT version. TunerCat_RT is also supposed to support it, but I haven't verified that myself yet. Both are great products, I just find somethings easier to do on one vs. the other at various times. Just a personal whim.

It looks like a Great Product to me!

- Vern

thirdgen88

Don't think that I don't have a backup chip.. I'm just happy to report that I haven't needed it..

89C2500

I've been using my OSTRICH since mid-December and I love it! Absolutely NO issues, or glitches....not one! I've upload a new .bin at -10F...no problems. It has been a tremendous time-saver for me.
Thanks Craig! :yourock:

jackballs529

Craig or anyone else,

I just ordered an Ostrich. I use TunerProRT and I'm wondering how do I run my ALDL cable to monitor Sensor Data while I'm using my Ostrich? I don't think you can run 2 different instances of TunerProRT at the same time to toggle between. Can you do both functions at the same time?

Mangus

You don't need 2 instances. The ALDL cable lives on a separate COM port than the Ostrich, so each are automatically mutually exclusive. Simple configure TunerPro for your ALDL cable and let it auto-detect your Ostrich. Then log and emulate as you normally would.

jackballs529

Thanks for info. One last thing. My Laptop only has 1 USB port. If I use one of those cheap $10 USB hubs will everything work considering Com ports?

Mangus

Does it have PCMCIA slot(s)? If so, Craig sells a $20 4-port USB 2.0 hub that utilizes the PCMCIA slot. That will solve your problem.

jackballs529

It does have one slot but I have an ethernet card in there that I would rather not swap in and out all the time. I'm just thinking that a hub is not smart enough to decipher com ports, right? If I have to go with the PCMCIA card I will.

Craig Moates

I think the hub will work OK. At least I hope so...

ben73

Has anyone tried this with a hub yet?

Synapsis

Back from the dead.

I have a cheap hub, and the Osterich didn't work with it. The Osterich pulled too much power without the hub having the external source plugged in to work. Plugging in the hub's AC supply, or plugging it directly into the laptop worked just fine.

Oh, and the Osterich is badass. You can literally ballpark idle values in minutes instead of testing and burning chips (as with my PP2.) I plugged it in, pointed to the drivers, and CATS RT found it as a romulator and off I went.

Love the label sealing the anti-static bag.

Craig Moates

I've had mixed results working with hubs. Seems like things slow down. Then again, I was running a USB 2.0 hub out of a UBS 1.1 port.

As a side note, I've had VERY good experience with the PCMCIA multi-port USB cards. Really seems to take the overhead load away from the PC and power is right off the PCI bus.

Kurt04

iTrader: (2)

Old post I know, but the 2.0 just came out last week (I ordered mine last night) And I just wanted to see if Craig would elaborate on the new features.

Craig Moates

Sure, I'll help if I can.

From your highlights, I assume you're interested in the trace function. Here it is in terms of command structure as it is today (will likely change via firmware updates as other opportunities for improvement are identified):

Trace:

Request:
'T'+x1+x2+x3+y1+y2+sMMSB+sMSB+sLSB+eMMSB+eMSB+eLSB+CS

Response:
'O'+MMSB1+MSB1+LSB+…+MMSBy+MSBy+LSBy+'O' for nonstreaming, repeating 1…y pattern for streaming

x1 = subcommand byte
For x1, it is a bitmask.
B0: 0=streaming, 1=not streaming
B1: 0=report all, 1=report only windowed hits
B2: 0=report all, 1=report only nonredundant hits
B3: 0=normal reporting, 1=use the sMMSB:sMSB:sLSB as a trigger address (should have B1=0,B2=1) and report subsequent hits
B4: 0=normal reporting, 1=use the eMMSB:eMSB:eLSB as a trigger for ending address reporting (automated trigger stop)
B5: 0=report addresses as absolute, 1=report addresses relative to start address offset (zero base)
B6-B7: 0=report addresses using all three bytes, 1=use only LSB, 2=use only MSB:LSB, 3=same as 0 (default)

x2,x3 = reserved option bytes for later use

y1 = number of hits to buffer in packet prior to PC side report
y2 = number of packets to report before returning to 'command prompt'

sMMSB:sMSB:sLSB,eMMSB:eMSB:eLSB = inclusive window for selective reporting

Note 1: If any byte is sent from the PC during address hit reporting, a 'hard' interrupt will occur. The present address hit report (if in progress) will be completed, and an 'O' will be reported to the PC to indicate acknowledgement and a return to the ready state.

Note 2: If a 'soft stop' is desired, send a 't' and the in-progress packet report (size defined by y1) will be completed. An accompanying 'O' will also be reported back to the PC to acknowledge the stop execution.

Definitions:

Streaming: Address hits are reported without stopping unless otherwise interrupted as described in Note 1 and Note 2.

Windowed: An area of memory can be specified via start and end addresses within the command structure. If the option bit is set to report only windowed hits, then only memory address hits within the specified range will be reported.

Redundant: If you keep getting the same hit at the same memory location over and over, then that is redundant. If you hit the same spot after hitting other spots, then it is not redundant since it wouldn't be 'sequentially redundant'.

Trigger: When a particular address has been defined as a trigger, then if it is hit, certain actions can be taken. These can include the start or stop of hit reporting.

Buffer Packet: Defined by y1 in terms of size with respect to number of addresses, this is the size of the 'hit collection' that will be gathered on the Ostrich prior to bursting it back to the PC. This enhances the bandwidth so that you can rapidly gather the hits in packet form without being constrained by the bandwidth going back to the PC.


I hope this makes sense. So the new Ostrich 2.0 can perform reporting back to the PC in terms of what addresses are being 'hit'. Theoretically, this could be used to infer position within the ROM and thus specific calibration tables. So you could deduce what 'cell' of a table you're in and report the corresponding axis values. Given that, and enough software integration, you could just about have a 'cell trace' or bouncing ball feature within the software editor, negating the direct need for a datastream in that regard.

With all this being said, the software folks have their plates pretty full of other work and there should be no expectation in terms of trace integration into something like 'TunerPro RT' on any predictable timeline. However, I am putting the functionality out there as a pacesetting effort, so good things will come in their course as time permits.

Best regards,
Craig

Eckoman

Is this new funktionality also integrated into the AutoProm, or is an "AutoProm 2.0" just around the corner?